Volume 8 – 2011
Lowell General Hospital and the Quality Caring Model
Did you know that Lowell General Hospital
received Magnet® recognition this year? A
Magnet designated hospital is an organization
that has been recognized by the American
Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) after
demonstrating excellence in patient care in
more than 35 areas of focus throughout the
entire hospital – including the Cancer Center.
Reaching this designation is the result of
several years of preparation and long-standing
commitments to nursing and patient care
through quality and process improvements
as well as collaboration. Magnet provides
the ultimate benchmark for patients and their
families to measure quality of care they can
expect at a hospital.
What does this mean for our patients? Research shows that Magnet hospitals patients receive
better quality of care and Magnet hospitals recruit and retain nurses at a better rate than non
Magnet hospitals. This carries over into patient and physician satisfaction because quality
nursing care is at the center of a Magnet hospital.
At Lowell General Hospital we have a Quality Caring Model based on a nurse theorist named
Dr. Joanne Duffy. At the center of the model are the patient and family. Everything revolves
around the quality caring relationship a patient has at Lowell General Hospital. Nurses who
choose to have a caring relationship with the patient and families provide the “cared for”
feeling, thus freeing patients to take risks, learn new healthy behaviors and participate in
evidenced based interventions. This theory also has shown improved outcomes in the
areas of knowledge, safety, comfort, anxiety and
satisfaction for both patient and their nurse.
Magnet status is received by only 6% of
hospitals who apply for this status, and
we are one of only eight hospitals
in Massachusetts that have
this accreditation.
We are proud to be
a Magnet-designated
facility and to providing
you with world-class care.
“SHARING IS CARING”
Winter 2011
The following Community Resources can help you
through your cancer treatment.
Mind, Body and Wellness
Programs for LGH Patients
For questions or to register for any of these
programs, call Meg Lemire at 978-937- 6142.
Healing Through Art – Art Therapy
The Healing Through Art program offers cancer
patients and their caregivers a creative way to
work through their cancer journey. No prior art
experience necessary.
Exercise to Wellness
This program is for cancer patients who have
completed their cancer treatment and wish to
begin the healing process through exercise. We
offer this program though our partnership with
Fitcorp Health Center, and is tailored to your needs.
Therapeutic Cancer Massage
This program is offered to any Cancer Center
patient in treatment. Massage is healing touch
that applies pressure on the muscles of the body.
Benefits of massage include an enhanced feeling
of well-being, less muscle tension, improved
blood and lymph circulation, lower blood pressure,
increased range of motion, less anxiety relief from
depression, and less trouble sleeping. We offer
therapeutic cancer massage through our
partnership with Body Destinations.
Reiki Clinic
This program is offered to any Cancer Center
patient in treatment. Reiki is a hands on system
of energy healing long used in a wide variety of
medical settings to increase immune response,
decrease pain, and induce deep relaxation.
We offer Reiki through our partnership with
Body Destinations.
The Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital | 295 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854 | 978-937-6800 | TTY: 978-937-6889
I
www.lowellgeneral.org
Savvy shopping!
Faced with paying for multiple medications
during your treatment? The cost paying for these
medications can be overwhelming, but with a little
know-how you can cut the cost significantly.
Social Media and the Cancer Patient
Within the last few years Facebook has become one of the biggest social media
websites and has changed the way we communicate with friends and family. This
popular social networking site can be fun and a daily distraction from dealing with
cancer, but you may not be aware of other ways that social media and interactive web
sites can provide support and education to the cancer patient.
Whether receiving treatment for newly diagnosed or recurrent cancer, or navigating the
world of cancer survivorship, there are many avenues of support you can access right
from your computer. Online conversations are taking place right now between patients,
caregivers and survivors, locally, nationally and world wide.
One popular site for online support is www.cancercare.org (just follow the links to the
online support groups). Groups are available for patients, caregivers and loved ones
and groups for the bereaved.
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network at csn.cancer.org allows
you to participate in discussion boards and chat rooms. They encourage you to develop
friendships, exchange practical information, and support one another.
Your immediate reaction may be one of fear, concerns over privacy and sharing
personal information. Remember that it’s OK to just ‘listen’ for now… see what
people are talking about and when and if you feel ready… jump in and contribute.
You might be amazed at how much it helps. These online connections can provide
help and support 24/7, helping you through sleepless nights, those days when you
feel that no-one understands or even while you’re receiving chemotherapy at the local
Cancer Center.
While you may find these sites useful, please remember not to make healthcare
decisions based on their advice without input from your physician. For more
information visit the Lowell General Hospital Cancer Center page on Facebook
and click on the ‘Online Support Groups’ tab.
The Boutique Re-Opens
The Boutique on the ground floor of the Cancer Center has reopened with the arrival
of “Wigs & Hairpieces Unlimited”. Appointments for consultations, full-service wig
fitting, accessories and styling services may be made by calling 978-944-5688.
295 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854 | 978-937-6800 | TTY: 978-937-6889
I
www.lowellgeneral.org
Pharmacies have Generic Drug Programs offering
generic versions for significantly less than you’ll
pay if you use your health insurance. These
programs generally offer a 30-day supply of
hundreds of generics for around $4.00 or a 90-day
supply of the same generics for around $10.00!
Target, Rite Aid, Hannaford (Healthy Saver Plus
program), Stop and Shop and Walgreens all have
similar programs. Check with your pharmacy to
see if they offer your medication for a low price.
If they don’t, shop around – hopefully you’ll find
what you’re looking for at a good price. Also
remember to ask your health care provider to
write for a generic prescription whenever possible.
Shopping around is important whether looking
for a low cost generic drug or not. Take Arimidex
for example. This is a medication used by many
post-menopausal women with certain types of
breast cancer. It has recently become available in
the generic form but can still cost upwards of $340
for a months supply. By calling local pharmacies,
we recently found that Costco offers a months
supply of the same medication for around $30
(and you don’t have to be a Costco member)! This
may not seem so important if you have health
insurance where you pay a co-pay only, but if you
have Medicare Part D, it will take longer for you to
reach your coverage gap (known as the Medicare
donut hole), where you become financially
responsible for the entire cost of prescription
drugs until the expense reaches the catastrophic
coverage threshold.
So pick up the Yellow Pages and
put the local pharmacies
on speed-dial. Asking
for prices could make
it worth the effort.